The residual stress state of a sheet metal component manufactured by metal forming has a significant influence on the mechanical properties, and thus determines the time until the component fails, especially for dynamic loads. The origin of the resulting residual stress state of incrementally formed parts with regard to the forming mechanisms of shearing, bending, and the normal stress component is still under investigation. The relationship between the process parameters, the forming mechanisms, and the resulting residual stress state for a complex part geometry manufactured by single point incremental forming (SPIF) is presented in this publication. For this purpose, a validated numerical process model is used to analyze the influence of the step-down increment Δz for truncated cones on the characteristics of the forming mechanisms and the resulting residual stress state. For the first time the forming mechanisms are evaluated numerically on both sides of the formed component. A relationship between the process parameters, forming mechanisms, residual stresses, and the mechanical properties of an incrementally formed component is shown. Shearing-induced hardening is identified as a relevant influence on the residual stress state of cones
